wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Spirituality and violence will be focus at Boston conference

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 19/10/2005

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE CHRISTIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO A CULTURE
OF PEACE

The root causes and complex nature of violence, and aspects of Christian
spiritual life that can contribute towards the building of a culture of
peace in today's world, will be the focus of an international conference
taking place in Boston, USA from 27-29 October 2005.

Entitled "Violence and Christian spirituality", the conference is
sponsored by the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in cooperation with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Boston Theological
Institute.

After considering violence from a broad variety of perspectives -
including human rights, development, social change, interreligious
relations, Christian anthropology, and gender - the conference will seek
to lift up resources for peace from Christian spiritual life, and will
explore the history of non-violence; the Patristic approach to forgiveness
and reconciliation; the role of prayer and worship; and the relationship
of justice and peace.

Hosted by an Orthodox theological institute, it is described by organizers
as a direct contribution by the international Orthodox Christian community
to the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010).

Social scientists, theologians, religious and community leaders from a
broad range of Christian backgrounds, including some of the world's
foremost authorities in the study of peace and violence, will bring an
interdisciplinary and critical approach to bear upon their subject, and
speakers from Orthodox and other church traditions will contribute
ecumenical perspectives on violence.

Scheduled speakers include Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek
Orthodox Church in America, who will give the keynote speech; Dr Marc
Gopin, director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict
Resolution at George Mason University, who will speak on "Religion,
violence and peace-making"; Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary,
who will discuss the ecumenical challenge to the churches to participate
in overcoming violence; and Dr John Witte, Jr, director of the Center for
Interdisciplinary Study of Religion at Emory University, who will offer
ecumenical perspectives on religious freedom and human rights.

More information on the conference is available on the Holy Cross website
at:
http://www.hellenic.hchc.edu/pages/news/prviolence.asp

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.